Lead Lighting Artist

Job Description

Housemarque is seeking a Lead Lighting Artist to join their team in Helsinki, Finland. In this role, the Lead Lighting Artist will collaborate closely with the Technical Art Director, overseeing the lighting department and ensuring consistent lighting quality that aligns with the Art Director's high visual standards. The ideal candidate will possess a strong background in real-time video game lighting technologies, pipelines, and tools, coupled with exceptional communication and people management abilities. He/She will play a key role in defining best practices, refining lighting pipelines, and ensuring the team maintains both artistic excellence and technical performance throughout projects.Role involves:

• Planning and scoping lighting needs for each project.
• Defining and maintaining best practices and workflows for real-time lighting.
• Leading and mentoring the lighting team.
• Establishing artistic and technical lighting targets.
• Balancing leadership tasks with hands-on content creation.
• Reviewing lighting work and providing feedback.
• Ensuring consistency in lighting style and quality.
• Collaborating with other departments.
• Driving conversations with Graphics Programmers.
• Managing lighting tasks, bugs, and priorities.
• Troubleshooting rendering and performance issues.
• Planning, assigning, and reviewing the team’s work.
• Appraising performance, providing feedback, and supporting career growth.
• Fostering a positive, inclusive, and safe work environment.

Requirements:

• Shipped at least one PC/Console title as a Lead Lighting Artist.
• 8+ years of experience in AAA game development (PC and/or console).
• Expert knowledge of real-time lighting techniques and physically based rendering (PBR).
• Strong experience with node-based shaders related to lighting.
• Good understanding of scripting for lighting interactions.
• Deep understanding of how lighting supports gameplay, storytelling, and mood.
• Ability to optimize lighting for performance and memory budgets.
• Strong eye for aesthetics, color theory, and composition.
• Familiarity with version control systems like Perforce.
• Experience with project management tools like Jira.
• Fluent written and verbal English skills.
• A genuine passion for video games.

Housemarque offers:

• Competitive salary, benefits, healthcare, Nordic work-life balance.
• Tailored immigration and relocation package.
• State-of-the-art studio facilities in the heart of Helsinki.
• Freedom, flexibility and openness in a collaborative culture.
• Brilliant, diverse and empathetic colleagues to work with.
• Exciting and ambitious projects executed with the best tools.
• Access to PlayStation Studios collaboration, games and more!